Car-dumping mechanism.



N. S. REEDER.

- GAR DUMPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1910.

1,0?5,495. Patented 0015.14, 1913.

INVERTER NATHANIEL 5.1 lEEnEn.

NATHANIEL S. REEDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS.

GAR-DUMPING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 14, 1213,

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S.

Ennnnn, of the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Dumping Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to improvements in grain cars and the object is to provide a valve for controlling the discharge of grain from a hopper bottom car, which may be quickly and easily opened or closed, and which will absolutely prevent any leakage of grain in transit. To accomplish this object, I provide a suitable plate at the mouth of each hopper of a car, forming a valve seat. A revoluble valve having a portion adapted to close the mouth of the hopper when in one position and to allow the grain to escape from both sides of the hopper when in another position, is mounted within each hopper in cooperation with the mouth plate.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention:Figure 1 is a half vertical longitudinal section of a car equipped with my valve. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view on the line 4l5 of Fig. 3, showing the valve in detail. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line G7 of Fig. 2.

In the above defined figures, 8 designates the box or body of a car which is preferably made with the boards placed longitudinally inside the framework so as to present a perfectly smooth interior surface. This body is provided with a roof 9 and doorways 10. The body is mounted on longitudinal center sills 11. At each end of the car, the portion12 of floor over the truck is stationary. The floor in the center of the car is formed of a pair of doors 13 which divide longitudinally at the center of the car and are hinged at the sides of the car. These doors 13 extend well beyond the sides of the doorways and are supported at their ends on the transoms or cross bearers 14. The floor at each end of the doors 13, between said. doors and the stationary floors 12, is formed in a single intermediate section 15 extending the full width of the car. These intermediate sections 15 are supported at their inner ends on the same transom llwhich supports the ends of the doors, and are supported at their outer ends on other transoms 16, which latter transoms also support the inner ends of the stationary floor sections 12. Below the floor a plurality of stationary hoppers 17 are located on each side of the center sills. These hoppers are each composed of a pair of plates 18 sloping downwardly between the transoms. The inner sides of the hoppers are formed by the webs of the center sills and the outer sides are formed by plates 19 sloping downwardly from the sides of the car, toward the center sills. At the bottom of each hopper the plates forming the same are connected by a suitable apertured plate 20 which forms the mouth of the hopper. The plate 20 is preferably a casting and is provided with a circularly curved seat 21 which surrounds the mouth aperture 22. A valve 23 is mounted above the plate 20 on a shaft 2 1 which extends through the center sill 11 and through the hoppers on each side thereof. The valve comprises a pair of circular side plates 25 spaced apart by a central tubular hub portion 26 through which the shaft 24; passes. Between the plates 25, a pair of web plates 27 are disposed ext-ending substantially radially from the hub and lying at an angle of approximately 120 apart. The space between the web plates 27 is occupiedby a filler block 28 which on its outer side conforms to the curvature of the circular plates 25. Both the plates 25 are provided with inwardly extending circumferential flanges 29. This valve is inclosed in a casing formed at the bottom by the mouth plate 20 and at the sides by plates 30, fixed, one to the side plate 19 of the hopper and one tothe web of the center sill 11. These casing plates 30 are provided with circular inturned flanges 31 forming continuations of the seat 21 and embracing the flanges 29 of the valve side plates.

Between the center sills a chain wheel 32 is mounted on the shaft 2 1 and a similar wheel 33 is mounted on an operating shaft- 34 extending transversely under the car near the center thereof. A suitable endless chain 35 runs over the wheels 32 and 33 so that by rotating the operating shaft 34:, the valve shaft 2 1- may be rotated to close or open the hopper by bringing the solid portion 28 of the valve over the mouth aperture 22, or rotating the same into the position shown in Fig. 2.

In operation as a grain car, the two floor doors 13 are raised to form an inner covering for the doorways, and the intermediate sections 15 disposed as shown in Fig. 1, so that there is no level floor on which the grain will lodge. The car is filled in the usual'way and despatched to its destination. To empty the car the operator ro tates the shaft 34 as described to open the valve. When the car is empty or-suflicient grain has escaped, the shaft 34 is again rotated to close the valves. As the valve is circular, there will be practically no resistance to its movement through the grain. W hen closing, the webs 27 will scrape the seat 21 clear of grain, and the block 28 will make a tight joint with the seat to prevent any grain leakage. When the valve is open, the grain will fiow from both ends of the hopper simultaneously, as will be readily seen from Figs. 1 and 2. Since the valve is, as a whole, cylindrical and operates against the circularly curved mouth plate, it is obvious that it may, if desired, be always rotated in one direction to open and close the mouth aperture. The advantage of this arrangement is that the valve may be operated by rotation in either direction and is also less readily clogged than oscillating closure members. Oscillating members usually rest against definite stops or against eccentrically disposed seats, and matter compressed by the closure member gradually accumulates on the stops or seats until it becomes difficult to operate the closure member. This applies particularly to grain which crushes and adheres very tightly and cannot be dislodged except by a thorough cleaning. The present valve is designed especially for grain cars and overcomes the above disadvantages by being cylindrical and movable always in one direction, thus eliminating stops and eccentric wedging seats. The plates 27 will scrape the seats 21 clean every time the valve is closed.

The valves may obviously be operated in any combination-desired and by any suitable mechanism other than that disclosed in this specification, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising the combination with the hopper of a car, of an apertured mouth plate secured at the lowest point thereof, a pair of side plates within the hopper integral with the mouth plate, flanges on said side plates, a revoluble member mounted between said side plates within the flanges, a shaft for said member, and means for rotating said shaft and member to open or close the hopper.

2. In a dump car, a plurality of hoppers, a curved apertured mouth plate at the bottom of each hopper, side plates within the hoppers, circular flanges on said plates continuous with the mouth plate, revoluble members between the side plates having circular side plates engaging said flanges, radial webs between the side plates of the revoluble member, a filler block between said webs, shafts connecting the revoluble members, and means for rotating the shafts to operate the revoluble members simultaneously.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL S. REEDER. W'itnesses:

HARRY S. HAMMOND, ARCHIBALD HAzLnHU'RsT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

